SAP 2012 Conventions 01 March 2021 v 8

[Pages:49]SAP 2012 Conventions

01 March 2021 (v 8.2)

Conventions apply to SAP 2012 throughout the UK except where otherwise indicated under 'Limitations'.

Conventions applied for design stage calculations submitted to building control may be carried through to the as-built stage.

This edition of the Conventions supersedes all previous editions and, where any Convention is in conflict with the published SAP specification, the Convention takes precedence.

A SAP EPC is issued for new dwellings at the stage of completion as required by the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations. Otherwise, an EPC for an existing dwelling is issued (using either SAP or RdSAP software), subject to client wishes and the availability of data.

Assessors should be familiar with relevant version of the SAP specification including its Appendices and Tables, as these conventions do not aim to duplicate the conventions therein but rather to provide further guidance and clarification.

New and amended conventions to v8.1 indicated by shaded background.

The list of conventions will be extended as appropriate.

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Limitations Topic

1.01

Default values

Conventions

Issue date

GENERAL

SAP provides default values for many items, such as window U-values and boiler efficiency.

Whenever specific product information is available, that should be used rather than default values.

However when using any specific values there needs to be documentary evidence to support them, and such evidence should be made available to building control on request. For items using the database, the evidence required is that the specific named product, e.g. boiler, is the one being used.

Sept 2010

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Limitations Topic

1.02

England,

Wales

Pressure test (as-built assessment)

1.02(a) Scotland

Pressure test (EPC, as-built assessment)

Conventions

The as-built assessment cannot be processed unless:

(a) information is provided that meets the evidence requirements of A2.4 or

(b) in England the alternate conditions of AD L1A 2013 and AD L1A 2013 with 2016 amendments (both for use in England) paragraph 3.22 or AD L1A 2010 (for use in E&W) paragraph 5.23, apply, or

(c) in Wales the alternate conditions of AD L1A 2014 and AD L1A 2014 with 2016 amendments (both for use in Wales) paragraph 6.4.10 or AD L1A 2010 (for use in E&W) paragraph 5.23 apply, or

(d) evidence of a specific dispensation issued in writing by Building Control.

Issue date

Sept 2010

amended March 2011

amended October 2015

amended May 2016

amended Aug 2017

Note: in Northern Ireland TB F1 2006, TB F1 2012 and TB F1 2012 with 2014 amendments refer to SAP 2009 and SAP 2012 Conventions do not apply; refer to SAP 2009 Conventions version 5.0.

The EPC assessment cannot be processed unless:

(a) for a dwelling that was tested, the measured infiltration rate for the dwelling is used in the calculation. This should be the test result for that dwelling, recorded on a certificate issued by a person who has demonstrated competence in air tightness testing to the satisfaction of the Verifier*; or

Aug 2017

(b) for a dwelling that was not tested, the declared (or agreed) infiltration rate accepted by the Verifier is used in the calculation. This should be confirmed to the assessor by the developer following both sample testing of other dwellings on the development and any remedial action agreed with the verifier as a result of those tests.

* Verifiers are the organisations, appointed by Scottish Ministers, who check and approve Building Warrant Applications. Each of Scottish Local Authorities is the verifier for their geographical area.

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Limitations Topic

Conventions

Issue date

1.03

Not Scotland Regulations

As a minimum, building control should be provided with:

Sept 2010

compliance report

- the regulations compliance report, and - listing of the input data

amended March 2011

Building Control should also be supplied with any supporting information that they may request. The compliance report may show a fail under some headings; in these circumstances it is the decision of building control as to whether or not they approve the

amended Aug 2017

construction.

Any differences between the as-designed specification and the as-built specification should be highlighted on the input data list.

1.03(a) Scotland

Regulations compliance report

Whilst not mandatory, production of a Regulations Compliance Report generated by the SAP software is good practice.

Compliance with Section 6 Energy standards 6.1 to 6.6 is demonstrated at design stage, prior to issue of a building warrant.

Where changes in design or specification during construction changes any element of the original SAP data input, the Verifier should be notified and be provided with updated information to demonstrate that compliance is maintained.

* see convention 1.02(a) for the definition of a Verifier

Aug 2017

1.04

England,

Wales

When to issue an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

EPC is produced once the dwelling is physically complete. A dwelling is deemed `physically complete' when all of the following conditions are met:

a) Commissioning of the heating system has been satisfactorily completed, and b) Thermal bridging details are signed off, and c) Air permeability is confirmed via pressure testing of representative dwellings, and d) The dwelling itself is complete and could be pressure tested.

The developer should feed information about changes from the design stage to the asbuilt stage to the OCDEA so that an EPC can be produced. Assessors should not produce an EPC without such information and it may be necessary to prompt the developer to produce the required information.

A copy of the EPC should be provided to the client (in electronic or paper form) to be passed to the building control body.

Sept 2010

amended March 2011

amended Aug 2017

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Limitations

1.04 (a) Scotland

Topic

Conventions

Issue date

Production of an onconstruction EPC

An EPC must reflect any variations or additional information, such as pressure test results, arising during the construction of a new dwelling.

Work to produce an EPC for a new dwelling, including access to Scottish EPC Register (SEPCR) systems, should not commence until the Assessor receives confirmation that all construction work and testing that could affect the assessment process is complete and the Assessor has established that they are in possession of all information needed to undertake assessment.

Aug 2017

1.05

SAP version for

EPCs are always produced using the latest SAP version. If the dwelling concerned was Sept 2010

EPCs

assessed for building regulation compliance using an earlier SAP version the data is transferred to a SAP calculator that uses the current SAP version for EPC production.

amended Sept 2012

In unusual cases where the dwelling has been occupied since completion but before the EPC is issued, a SAP EPC is appropriate if it is established that the dwelling has not been meaningfully altered since completion or if the details of any alteration are known and can

added Aug 2017

be incorporated in the assessment. Otherwise it should be treated as an existing dwelling

and assessed via RdSAP.

In Scotland, in support of the completion certificate submitted to the Verifier*, a SAP EPC must be provided for each new dwelling which is subject to standard 6.9. An RdSAP EPC cannot be used for this purpose. Any certification using RdSAP may only occur as a separate action, after acceptance of a completion certificate for the dwelling by the Verifier.

* see convention 1.02(a) for the definition of a Verifier

1.07

England,

Wales

Design water use

For new build in England & Wales it is now required that the dwelling is designed to use not more than 125 litres/person/day for compliance with E&W Part G. SAP assessors may assume that building control will establish compliance with E&W Part G and tick the applicable box in SAP software for new dwellings in England & Wales.

In other countries, and for any existing dwelling, this option does not apply.

Sept 2010

amended March 2011

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Limitations Topic

1.08

Flats v. houses

Conventions

Issue date

A house or bungalow has both a heat loss ground floor and an exposed roof. A dwelling without a heat loss floor cannot be a house and must be treated as a flat or maisonette. Generally a flat or maisonette does not have both a heat loss ground floor and a heat loss roof (although there are some exceptions such as a ground floor flat with an extension or when the footprint of a flatted development is `stepped').

Sept 2011

amended Sept 2012

1.09

Database version SAP calculations must always be done using the latest version of the database (PCDF), Sept 2011

at both as-designed and as-built stages.

1.10

Not Scotland Software version

SAP calculations must always be done using the latest version of approved SAP 2012

Sept 2011

software at both as-designed and as-built stages. The only exception is where the as-

designed calculation was done using an earlier software version and building control

allows the use of that version for the as-built calculation.

1.11

Scotland only Software version

New build SAP calculations produced in support of standard 6.1 (carbon dioxide

Sept 2011

emissions) should be carried out using the version of SAP current at the date the building

warrant application is lodged.

This as-designed calculation may continue to use the same version of the software for the duration of the warrant process, including any amendment to the original warrant. Where a newer version of SAP is available, use of this in respect of standard 6.1 is at the discretion of the applicant.

For the issue of an EPC on completion of the dwelling, the version of SAP current at the date of completion must be used (see convention 1.05).

1.12

Sheltered sides

Enter actual number if known, otherwise 0 (i.e. the worst case).

In Scotland, not more than 2, and 2 if unknown.

October 2015

1.13a

England, Wales

Heated conservatory

Included in calculations if: - not thermally separated from main dwelling, or - heated by dwelling's main heating system (England) or heated by fixed heaters (Wales)

October 2015

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Limitations Scotland

Northern Ireland

Topic

Heated conservatory

Heated conservatory

Conventions Included in DER/TER calculations if not thermally separated from main dwelling.

Included in calculations if: - not thermally separated from main dwelling, or - independent temperature and on/off controls are not provided to the conservatory

Issue date October 2015 October 2015

DIMENSIONS

2.01

Average storey

Where there are rooms extending into the roof space, the average storey height is needed Sept 2010

height

for the volume calculation (see 2.03). This is the average height of the habitable area

(see Appendix 4)

(plus the thickness of the intermediate floor if it is an upper storey of the dwelling).

2.02

Storey height of flats In the case of a flat over an unheated garage (or similar) where the entrance to the flat is Sept 2010

over garages

on the ground floor with a heated stairway leading to the main part of the flat, an

(see Appendix 4)

exception is made to the rule in 2.01:

a) The intermediate floor thickness is added to the ground floor height

b) The first floor height is measured from internal floor to ceiling

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Limitations Topic

Conventions

2.03

Dwelling volume

The volume of the dwelling comprises the internal volume of the dwelling, measured

between the finished internal surfaces of the elements bounding the dwelling. Spaces

outside the dwelling, for example roof voids, are not included even though within the

insulated fabric.

A roof/ceiling void is not included in the dwelling volume but included into wall area;

this dimension should be for calculating the volume:

Issue date

Sept 2011 amended Aug 2017

This dimension should be used for calculating wall area:

2.04

Gable wall area

Where the roof insulation is between the ceiling joists, the area of the gable wall above

Sept 2011

the finished ceiling level does not need to be included in the heat loss wall area. Where

the insulation is along the slope of the roof (between the rafters) the gable wall needs to

be included in the heat loss wall area (unless it is a mid-terrace house). Note that the

gable wall area also needs to be included where there is a flat ceiling, however with

insulation in the slope between the rafters.

2.05

Internal elements

Areas of internal and party walls, floors and ceilings are measured:

Sept 2011

(for thermal mass calculation)

- vertically using floor-to-ceiling height - horizontally as the length on plan ignoring any intersecting partitions.

amended Aug 2017

- disregarding openings

(Appendix 5 provides the thermal mass for some illustrative constructions).

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Limitations Topic

2.06

Bay windows

Conventions

Include the area of the bay in the floor area. Include the perimeter of the bay in the total perimeter for calculation of thermal bridging wall/floor and wall/roof. See also convention 5.16.

Issue date

amended Sept 2016

2.07

U-values of

Where the roof insulation follows the shape of the room, the U-value of the walls and

Aug 2017

elements of room in ceilings to the unheated roof voids should be calculated as normal with the room?in-roof

roof insulated at

shelter factor applied.

rafters

Where the insulation is contained entirely within the rafters, the U-value of the sloping

ceilings should be multiplied by a factor of 0.72, and the resultant U-value used for the

walls and ceilings to the unheated voids spaces.

See diagram 3.1 in Appendix 3.

OPENINGS

3.01

U values of doors to It is generally not necessary to adjust the U-values of doors in semi-exposed walls, in

Sept 2010

unheated spaces

particular when the area of the element covered by the unheated space is less than 10% of the total exposed area of all external walls.

corrected Aug 2017

In some cases (such as a flat with very small external elements) the door may be more

than 10%, in which case the U-value of the door in the semi-exposed wall should be

adjusted in the same way as that for a semi-exposed wall (SAP documentation section

3.3.

Note: Attached garages are disregarded altogether.

3.02

Window areas

To be specified either individually or at least per elevation.

Sept 2011

3.03

External doors

Solid door: if glazed area < 30% of door area

October 2015

Semi-glazed door: if glazed area 30-60% of door area

Glazed door with glazed area > 60% of door area, included as a window

3.04

England,

Wales

Window orientation The actual orientation of all windows must be specified at as built stage.

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October 2015

amended Aug 2017

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